Braai garlic bread in foil

Name: Braai garlic bread in foil
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 6 to 8
Cuisine: South African
Ingredients: 1 soft French loaf or baguette, about 400 g (14 oz); ciabatta or any crusty white loaf works; 175 g (3/4 cup) soft salted butter; 4 cloves garlic, crushed; 2 tablespoons chopped parsley; pinch of salt; 1/2 teaspoon chilli flakes, optional; 150 g (1 1/2 cups) grated mozzarella or cheddar; 60 g (2 oz) biltong, finely chopped; jerky or crisp bacon bits work instead; 125 ml (1/2 cup) cooked corn kernels

A crusty loaf cut almost through, packed with garlic butter, wrapped in foil and heated at the edge of the fire while the meat finishes.

Coals: Low coals
Prep: 10 min
On the fire: 15 min
Serves: 6 to 8

Ingredients

1 soft French loaf or baguette, about 400 g (14 oz); ciabatta or any crusty white loaf works
175 g (3/4 cup) soft salted butter
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon chilli flakes, optional

Cheesy version, optional

150 g (1 1/2 cups) grated mozzarella or cheddar

Biltong and corn version, optional

60 g (2 oz) biltong, finely chopped; jerky or crisp bacon bits work instead
125 ml (1/2 cup) cooked corn kernels

Method

Mix the butter, garlic, parsley, salt and chilli flakes in a bowl. If you are making the biltong version, stir in the biltong and corn now.
Cut the loaf into slices 2 to 3 cm (1 inch) apart, going three quarters of the way down. Leave the base joined so the loaf stays in one piece.
Spread the butter into every cut and over the top. For the cheesy version, push the cheese into the cuts after the butter.
Wrap the loaf tightly in heavy-duty foil. Use two layers if the fire is still lively.
Put the parcel at the edge of the grid over low to medium coals, away from direct flame. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes, turning once halfway.
For a crisp top, open the foil for the last 2 to 3 minutes with the cut side up, still away from direct heat.
Lift onto a board, pull the slices apart and serve hot.

Done when: the butter has melted right through, the crust is hot and crackly, any cheese has melted, and the base is golden rather than black.

Tips

Garlic bread burns fast over direct coals. Put it on when the meat is nearly done and keep it at the cool edge.
On a kettle braai, cook it on the grid with the lid on at 180°C (350°F) for the same time. See setting up a kettle braai.
Thin single foil on hot coals scorches the bottom. Double-wrap, or raise the grid.
Do not cut all the way through. The hinge at the bottom keeps the butter in the bread.
Butter and wrap the loaf hours ahead and keep it in the fridge until the fire is ready.

Garlic bread is the standard thing to eat while the meat is still on the grid at a South African braai, as common as braaibroodjies. It asks nothing of the cook beyond a few minutes of buttering, and it uses the cool edge of the fire that would otherwise go to waste.

For the timing of the whole braai, see braai timing and order.